ISL interpreter Sarah-Jane: “The Toy Show with ISL has given us the opportunity to be together”

The Toy Show really is for everyone.

No matter what age you are, no matter who you are.

And in recent years, RTÉ has taken strides to make the show even more inclusive with both Irish Sign Language interpreters and Audio Description interpreters helping deaf and blind children enjoy the Toy Show like everyone else.

VIP Magazine got to speak to Sarah-Jane O’Regan and Jason Maguire ahead of this year’s Toy Show as they discussed the importance of inclusivity.

 

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Jason tells us: “Being deaf ourselves, being able to see deaf people on television as a visual representation that could actually give kids a role model and give them the idea that could be them one day.

“Deaf people are well able to be on TV and do it through their own language, Irish Sign Language. It’s so important to be able to see representation on TV.”

The accessibility has come on leaps and bounds in recent years with Sarah-Jane saying: “When I was growing up and watching TV, I always felt out of the loop. I have a hearing brother and he would laugh and I would look at him and go, ‘What are you laughing at?’

“I would be watching The Toy Show but I had no idea what was going on. I was just watching the visual, I was looking at the toys, I was looking at the stage. I was nearly creating my own stories in my head of what was happening. But now we have ISL interpreters we realise what we were missing, for years.

“It’s amazing for both of us now to provide that magic to deaf children who are watching us. No one is missing out, they’re not missing the jokes, they’re laughing with their hearing siblings, deaf parents with hearing children, deaf families, deaf friends. They’re all laughing at the same time together.

“The Late Late Toy Show with ISL access has given us that opportunity to all be together.”